Bplans Blog |hiring

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be general information only. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Please consult with an attorney before making any legal decisions. Because some employment laws vary from state to state throughout the country, some of the information that follows may not be applicable to a particular business or employer.... Read more »

It would seem like an ideal situation to work with close friends and family members. You can’t imagine people who would be more invested in your happiness and success. Not only that, but you actually like each other. These are the people you care about and easily socialize with. If you count on these people... Read more »

For our latest webinar, we discussed “How to Lose an Employee in 10 Days,” outlining major mistakes an entrepreneur or CEO should avoid if they want to hold onto valuable employees. I was joined in this webinar by Matt Rissell, the CEO of TSheets Time Tracking. If you’re not familiar with TSheets, they are a... Read more »

If you own your own business and find that you simply don’t have enough time on your hands to be able to do all the things you need to do, you may be asking yourself should you hire an employee? If you’ve already got employees, your question will be similar, when is the right time... Read more »

You probably have an idealized image in your head of the type of like-minded individual you would like to launch your venture with, but as with a lot of aspects in life, things don’t always work out the way you planned. The stark reality is that you will most likely work your way through multiple business partners as you embark down your desired career path, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Due to the continued and rapid growth of the internet and social media, there are more ways than ever to find a partner who shares your goals and aspirations. Below we've collected some of the best ways to find your perfect business partner. Read more »

When the chemistry is just right, it’s true that going into business with others can be a blessing. But don’t think that’s the only way to do it. If you have the drive, you can succeed on your own, too. Read more »

Entrepreneurs, beware of business plan writers who oversell. There are people who sell business plan writing as if the business plan itself — the formatting, the structure, the editing, the production values — will or won’t get investment. And that’s not true. Nobody real will invest or not invest because of the production values of a... Read more »

Have you ever considered hiring a recruiting agency to source a high-impact or hard-to-find employee? Our friends at Software Advice have a few guidelines to help you weed out the wrong type of recruiters. 1. What is the internal turnover rate at your recruiting firm? If an agency can’t source their own internal talent effectively, how do you... Read more »

You run a business and wear many different hats, one of which is making sure that those you employ are both productive and satisfied with their jobs. So, imagine the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you come to realize that the payroll provider you hired to make sure all your workers are... Read more »

You find yourself standing on the brink of your first try starting your own business. Looking downwards into confusion. Passion? Perseverance? The idea? The plan? What comes first? What’s most important? There’s a world of advice out there, lots of it conflicting, contradictory advice. Far too much to use and digest. I just discovered Jim Price‘s... Read more »

I’ve been interviewing several candidates over the last few months to fill positions on my marketing team at Palo Alto Software, and I am amazed at the number of people who show up for an interview unprepared. Some may say that it’s generational, but that’s not the case. I’ve interviewed candidates from seniors in college... Read more »

I’m a good writer. I know that. I’m proud of that. I write relatively fast, relatively finished non-fiction business writing. I have degrees to prove it, but of course they don’t. And I have published works to prove it, and they do. Google me. However — and this is the point — I am not... Read more »

If your business relies on its online reputation, you know how important credibility is to your success. Hiring a professional writer is a great way to maximize your company’s online branding potential. Unfortunately, not every small business has the funds available to hire a full-time writer. However, if you do have the financial flexibility to... Read more »

Do I need a co-founder? How do I chose one? What do I do if the relationship doesn’t work out? These are some of the most frequent questions about co-founders that I have heard from entrepreneurs over the years. In this post, I’ll try to answer these, and a few other important related questions. Do... Read more »

As a small business owner, you may never see the need to grow your company so that you have more than a few employees. Or maybe you never plan to hire even one employee. So, does this mean that you will never have to develop a training plan? Probably not. Even if you never hire... Read more »

A few years ago, LivePlan customer Caroline Cummings considered herself an “entrepreneur in recovery.” After her first tech startup dissolved in 2009 (costing her a significant amount of money), she knew she needed some time to figure out what her next venture would be. “I’m an entrepreneur at heart, so I knew I’d eventually jump... Read more »

Raising finance is a time consuming process and can also be quite stressful (particularly as time progresses). There may be some date in the future where your current trading position is no longer sustainable (which has brought you to the table in the first place). It is worth remembering that you need to recognise that... Read more »